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Museum of Oxford Walks: Rash or Rational? Victorian Leisure & Entertainment
30 July 2025 @ 2.00pm to 3.30pm
About Museum of Oxford Walks: Rash or Rational? Victorian Leisure & Entertainment
Discover a different side of Oxford’s urban history on a walking tour through Oxford’s Victorian past. Led by local historian Liz Woolley.
Explore the Oxford of the Victorian age and find out what Victorian Oxford did for fun on this unique 90-minute circular walking tour visiting the sites of historic entertainment venues in the city centre.
Led by local historian Liz Woolley, this city walking tour will introduce you to a different side of Oxford’s urban history. See the ‘city of dreaming spires’ from the perspective of ordinary townspeople, who found themselves with leisure time – and the money to spend on it – for the first time.
You will learn about both the rash and the rational sides of Victorian entertainment, visiting sites including the Pembroke Street Public Baths, where you could be attended by a “first-class shampooer and teacher of swimming”, and the YMCA on George Street which promised to guide young men away from the “temptations of city life”.
As part of the tour, you will see: The Town Hall and Public Library, the Wilberforce Temperance Hotel (where alcohol was banned), The Jolly Farmers Pub, and the New Theatre – plus more historic Oxford locations!
Join our Rash or Rational? Victorian Leisure and Entertainment Walk to see Oxford through the eyes of an expert and discover a different side to this famous city’s history.
Please note that this tour was previously run under the name ‘Leisure and Entertainment in Victorian and Edwardian Oxford’.
Accessibility and further information
Meeting point: Museum of Oxford shop (located inside the Oxford Town Hall). Please arrive 5 minutes before the start of the walk and check in at the Museum Shop with our friendly front-of-house team.
The walk lasts 1.5 hours.
The itinerary includes cobbled streets, uneven surfaces, and narrow pavements. One of the stops involves going through Whatsheaf Yard which is very narrow and has an uneven surface. An alternative route to the next stop is available through St Aldate’s. Please email museum@oxford.gov.uk if you would like to discuss any access requirements ahead of booking a walk.
Meet your tour guide: Liz Woolley
Liz Woolley is a local historian specialising in the history of Oxford’s ‘town’ – as opposed to ‘gown’ – and of the everyday lives of ordinary working people, chiefly during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Liz has lived in Oxford for forty years and has an MSc in English Local History from the University’s Department for Continuing Education. She is an experienced tour guide, speaker, tutor, researcher, and writer, who enjoys helping people discover the perhaps less well-known history of Oxford and its citizens.
Access at the Museum
The Museum is accessible for wheelchair users, buggies, and baby carriers. There is step-free, level entry access to the Town Hall via the entrance closest to Carfax (to the left of the main steps as you face the Town Hall). Inside the Museum, Museum Makers is accessible via a platform lift and lift to the basement level. Accessible toilets are available in the Museum (close to Museum Makers) and in the Town Hall on the ground floor, before entering the Museum.
Please contact the Museum team if you’d like to talk to a member of staff about your access requirements. Further access information can be found on our website: https://museumofoxford.org/plan-your-visit/access
Tickets
Please see important booking information below.
Booking information
Ticket prices:
From £15.00
Tickets are available to purchase online (booking fee of £1.96 applies) or at the Museum shop.
Dates & times:
Wednesday 09 April 2025 at 2.00pm
Running time:
1 hour 30 minutes
Age guidance:
16+
About Museum of Oxford
The Museum of Oxford is the only museum dedicated to telling the story of Oxford and its people. Located inside the Oxford Town Hall, it explores the city’s rich history beyond the university, focusing on the lives, industries, and communities that have shaped Oxford over time.
The museum features interactive exhibits, local artefacts, and personal stories, covering topics such as Oxford’s medieval origins, its diverse communities, and key moments in its development. It also hosts temporary exhibitions, events, and activities for all ages.
